Minneapolis to host 2024 Big Ten Tournament

#26      
walter matthau cooking GIF by Laff
 
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#27      
I like rotating the site. I regularly complain about the fact that in college sports the haves are very difficult for the have nots to topple. With that bias, it behooves me to like a bit of geographic parity in tournament site selection. Nice it around. Give everyone a chance to be the big dog.
 
#28      
I have been to the B10 tourney several times....at UC and in Indy only.....Indy is my preference and it's not even close....just a much more fan friendly venue .....I get moving it around to share the wealth with other cities....but travel wise Indy is pretty centrally located for a majority of schools.....8 schools are within a very easy drive (NW, Purdue, Indiana, Michigan, MSU, OSU, Wisconsin, Illinois) Iowa and Minnesota are not much further....atmosphere and accommodations make Indy the ideal choice
 
#29      
Again just to stress … I’m cool with Indy. I love seeing a UC packed with orange, reminding everyone that this city (while spread among many fan bases) is our turf at the end of the day. However, (A) Indy’s downtown is one of the most underrated in the US, especially for something like this, and (B) Illini fans make that place Champaign East, as well … we DOMINATED the reduced crowd in 2021, and we had as many fans as INDIANA did this year, maybe even more!

I also understand NYC, as it really is a great marketing opportunity and an event at MSG is epic. What I don’t understand is locations that aren’t centrally located AND reliant on one team’s fan base to sell tickets like Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, etc. What those arenas/cities are like is irrelevant … Chicago, Indy and NYC, while each provides a few teams an advantage of sorts, are the only sites approaching “neutral.”

As I literally saw on an IU board RE: this news and found quite flattering … “Minny, IU and ILL can’t fill the place up on their own.” Glad our fan base has regained its reputation!
 
#30      
Again just to stress … I’m cool with Indy. I love seeing a UC packed with orange, reminding everyone that this city (while spread among many fan bases) is our turf at the end of the day. However, (A) Indy’s downtown is one of the most underrated in the US, especially for something like this, and (B) Illini fans make that place Champaign East, as well … we DOMINATED the reduced crowd in 2021, and we had as many fans as INDIANA did this year, maybe even more!

I also understand NYC, as it really is a great marketing opportunity and an event at MSG is epic. What I don’t understand is locations that aren’t centrally located AND reliant on one team’s fan base to sell tickets like Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, etc. What those arenas/cities are like is irrelevant … Chicago, Indy and NYC, while each provides a few teams an advantage of sorts, are the only sites approaching “neutral.”

As I literally saw on an IU board RE: this news and found quite flattering … “Minny, IU and ILL can’t fill the place up on their own.” Glad our fan base has regained its reputation!
Unless they fly charter planes, the trip from UIUC to MN is painful. It is easier to drive the 8 hours than deal with the flights. The flights takes 6-7 hours, plus time to/from/in the airport.

For those already in Chicago, there is a commuter from ORD to MSP. It is ~100m flight and ~$120 round trip if you book in advance. I suspect those seats will disappear quickly during tournament week. The commercial flights (ORD and MDW) are ~3x the price.
 
#31      
I am perfectly fine with Minneapolis being a venue for the B1G tournament. Yeah, the weather isn't great in Minnesota in the 2nd week of March but it's not like it's that much better the further south you go in the midwest. As far as other cities that have been suggested:

-Detroit/Cleveland/St. Louis: Detroit could be viable but the Horizon League tournament just left there a couple years ago. Cleveland is definitely out as they have the MAC tournament has been there for 20 years and the B1G would have to really entice the MAC to leave. St. Louis is out as they have the MVC tournament and I can't imagine the Enterprise Center or the Blues would want to not have the arena available for basically 2 full weeks during hockey season.
-Milwaukee: This could potentially work though I'd wonder if there would be enough hotel space and nightlife stuff around the arena going on for people wanting to go. I've never been to Milwaukee nor the new arena so I'll take others on here's word on how things are around there.
-Pittsburgh: Wouldn't entirely be the worst option though I don't know much about the area around the arena.
-Columbus: Definite no on this one. The B1G is able to get around hosting it at the UC because NW isn't in Chicago itself. I doubt they'd give a virtual home tournament to tOSU even if it's not in their on campus arena.
 
#32      
Unless they fly charter planes, the trip from UIUC to MN is painful. It is easier to drive the 8 hours than deal with the flights. The flights takes 6-7 hours, plus time to/from/in the airport.
I feel like they have to charter regularly, because can’t be a lot of flights that go college town to college town, especially when they’re small towns like Champaign to East Lansing or something.

But man that regular trip you described does suck. Hope it doesn’t deter any of our fans from getting there.
 
#33      
For all the talk about Indy being a tremendous home court advantage for Indiana, Illinois and Purdue, those three teams have a grand total of four BTT championships in 22 years, only two of which were won in Indianapolis (PU 09, IL 21) and only one of which was played in front of a traditional crowd.

Ohio State has had the best luck in Indy, winning four of its five titles there (one of which has since been vacated). Indiana has never won the BTT.
 
#34      
For all the talk about Indy being a tremendous home court advantage for Indiana, Illinois and Purdue, those three teams have a grand total of four BTT championships in 22 years, only two of which were won in Indianapolis (PU 09, IL 21) and only one of which was played in front of a traditional crowd.

Ohio State has had the best luck in Indy, winning four of its five titles there (one of which has since been vacated). Indiana has never won the BTT.
I mean, you can argue how much home court advantage MATTERS (which is what I think you’re doing?) … but Indiana, Illinois and Purdue clearly always have the most fans in Indy, and OSU isn’t even fourth.
 
#35      
I mean, you can argue how much home court advantage MATTERS (which is what I think you’re doing?) … but Indiana, Illinois and Purdue clearly always have the most fans in Indy, and OSU isn’t even fourth.
I'm not disagreeing with you, but I've attended the tourney about a dozen times, and EVERY SINGLE TIME, I end up in an elevator with Bucky in his full costume.
 
#36      
Indianapolis knows how to put on a fan-friendly event. The BTT and the B1G Conference Championship football game should permanently be in Indy.
 
#39      
Indianapolis knows how to put on a fan-friendly event. The BTT and the B1G Conference Championship football game should permanently be in Indy.
As a Chicagoan whose sister lives in Indianapolis, I must admit this is true. As long as you’re a good Midwesterner who can be content and happy with a good beer and a nice atmosphere, I’m not sure how you can’t think Downtown Indy isn’t SUPER underrated. Clean, nice, accessible and tons of restaurants and bars.

If the UC were, err, somewhere else … Chicago would be a no-brainer.
 
#40      

Tevo

Wilmette, IL
The tournament should never be in an "outskirt" city -- too damn far for everyone else to attend. No Minneapolis, Omaha, or Iowa City. No DC, no Jersey (OR New York), or Pittsburg/Philly. That leaves the reasonable central cities, with NBA stadiums, that MOST fans can drive to: Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cleveland. And maybe eliminate Columbus because it's the actual hometown for OSU. Plenty to choose from without playing clear favorites every year, and without making half the fans fly.
 
#41      
The tournament should never be in an "outskirt" city -- too damn far for everyone else to attend. No Minneapolis, Omaha, or Iowa City. No DC, no Jersey (OR New York), or Pittsburg/Philly. That leaves the reasonable central cities, with NBA stadiums, that MOST fans can drive to: Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cleveland. And maybe eliminate Columbus because it's the actual hometown for OSU. Plenty to choose from without playing clear favorites every year, and without making half the fans fly.
And Chicago and Indy, while giving a home crowd edge for Illinois and Indiana/Purdue, respectively, are the only two that approach a “true neutral.” Those two alternating is the answer.
 
#45      
But I do have a daughter in a Minneapolis suburb. So I'm looking to go next year if the Illini are decent. Can take my basketball-playing grandsons....
 
#46      

altgeld88

Arlington, Virginia
The tournament should never be in an "outskirt" city -- too damn far for everyone else to attend. No Minneapolis, Omaha, or Iowa City. No DC, no Jersey (OR New York), or Pittsburg/Philly. That leaves the reasonable central cities, with NBA stadiums, that MOST fans can drive to: Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cleveland. And maybe eliminate Columbus because it's the actual hometown for OSU. Plenty to choose from without playing clear favorites every year, and without making half the fans fly.
I understand your point about Columbus. However, Indy is a virtual home game for IU and Purdue given (1) the proximity of their campuses to the city (50 miles from Bloomington and 60 miles from WL, each both straight shots on the interstate hwys); and (2) the concentration of alums in the metro area. Detroit, likewise, is a virtual home game for Michigan and Sparty for the same reasons

I'm down with Indy being the default site and never moving it from there given the quality of the arena, the local amenities for fans, and its geographical centrality. Occasional variety, however, wouldn't hurt, as long as the venue isn't on the frontier of the BT empire (speaking as someone living in such a place, DC, with the unwashed Huns [ACC and BE fans] ready to storm the walls at any moment.)
 
#48      
I understand your point about Columbus. However, Indy is a virtual home game for IU and Purdue given (1) the proximity of their campuses to the city (50 miles from Bloomington and 60 miles from WL, each both straight shots on the interstate hwys); and (2) the concentration of alums in the metro area. Detroit, likewise, is a virtual home game for Michigan and Sparty for the same reasons

I'm down with Indy being the default site and never moving it from there given the quality of the arena, the local amenities for fans, and its geographical centrality. Occasional variety, however, wouldn't hurt, as long as the venue isn't on the frontier of the BT empire (speaking as someone living in such a place, DC, with the unwashed Huns [ACC and BE fans] ready to storm the walls at any moment.)
[Obligatory reminder that Indy has been crawling with Illini fans the last two BTTs!]
 
#50      
Cincinnati? Nice downtown, big arena.

If you're talking about the Heritage Bank Center, I think the B1G can shoot a little higher than that. And besides that arena is mainly used for hockey nowadays anyway. Plus Cincy itself isn't a very big metro area and I don't know if they'd have the hotel space near downtown that the B1G would need.